The Mexican team tied 2-2 with Argentina in the round of 32 qualifying round of the U-17 World Cup in Qatar; On penalties they won 5-4 against the Albicelestes with the redemption of goalkeeper Santi López.
Mexico City, November 14 (However).– The football always gives rematch. Today he gave it to mexican teamwho defeated his black beast, Argentinain the round of 32 of the Mundial Sub 17 that is played in Qatar. The Mexican team classified to the round of 16 con Santi Lopezas figure: the goalie had failed in the albiceleste’s tie, but in the penalty series He saved the rival’s first and scored the definitive maximum penalty.
The party seemed condemned to repeat history as always. The argentine national team He opened the scoring in the 9th minute of the match, with a goal from Ramiro tulian. The first half was a walk for the South Americans, who won their group with three victories, eleven goals in favor and just two against. Night seemed to fall on Mexico.
However, the Mexican team revived with courage and personality. In the second half, everything changed: the dominance belonged to the tricolors, who first tied with Luis Gamboa’s goal in the 46th minute and then the same player got his personal double, when he scored the partial 2-1 in the 58th minute.
WE ARE MEXICO! 💚🤍❤️#ProjectSelections pic.twitter.com/dp4coM1LgL
— Minor National Teams (@miseleccionsubs) November 14, 2025
From then on, the Mexican team resisted the Argentine attack as best it could. The Mexican team had almost miraculously qualified for the round of 32 of the World Cup in Qatar: they won one game and lost two, but they got among the best 32 teams thanks to the difference in yellow and red cards.
Santi López, from villain to hero
But again the castle built by Mexico seemed to have stood on sand. In the 87th minute, Argentine Fernando Closter equalized the score after an error by the Aztec goalkeeper, Santi López, who went wrong in a cross, miscalculated and left the goal for the albiceleste.
The last five minutes of the game belonged to Argentina, who seemed eliminated and suddenly took Mexico ahead. But the tricolors resisted and sent the game to penalties.
In the final shootout, Santi López, the villain of the film until then, emerged as the redeemer of the Mexicans: he saved Argentina’s first penalty and his teammates scored without fail, each one better than the other. It seemed as if, after the equalizing blow on the hour mark, a new, stronger team had been reborn.
The hero of the day! 🙌
The final penalty, scored by our goalkeeper. HUGE, SANTI LÓPEZ! 🔥
🇦🇷 2(4)-(5)2 🇲🇽#ProjectSelectionspic.twitter.com/eUUW4THqNi
— Minor National Teams (@miseleccionsubs) November 14, 2025
From that moment on, no one failed in the round. With the game tied 4-4 on penalties, Santi López took the ball and scored the fifth goal, the final one of the series, to classify the Mexican team to the round of 16 of the Under 17 World Cup. The cry was for redemption and also for revenge.
The Mexican team breaks the streak with Argentina
And Mexico has always suffered against Argentina, especially when it comes to the final phases. In 1993, in the Copa América in Ecuador, Miguel Mejía Barón’s team lost the final to the albicelestes. In 2006, Ricardo La Volpe’s tricolor fell to Argentina in the round of 16 of the World Cup in Germany. In 2010, the same thing happened, at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
In Qatar, but in 2022, the Argentine team had beaten Mexico 2-0 in the group stage, and the future world champion practically condemned the Aztecs in that tournament. And just in October, a few weeks ago, the South Americans eliminated the Mexican team in the quarterfinals of the U20 World Cup, with a score of 2-0.
The Mexicans finally broke a long streak this Friday in Qatar. The last time they had beaten their similar team Argentina, it had been precisely in another Under 17 World Cup, but 12 years ago, in the United Arab Emirates, when they beat 3-0 in the semifinals. That team would later lose the final to Nigeria.
Mexico seeks to emulate the tricolor teams that won the Under 17 World Cup: 2005 in Peru, and 2011, when it hosted. They will also try to improve on the extraordinary bronze that the Under 17 women’s team achieved last week, by beating Brazil for third place, after reaching the semifinals.
The Mexican Under 17 team will face Portugal in the round of 16 next Tuesday, November 18.